Arkansas

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News about Arkansas, including commentary and archival articles published in The New York Times.

Chronology of Coverage

Jun. 10, 2015

Arkansas Judge Wendell Griffen orders state officials to recognize over 500 same-sex marriages performed in 2014, licenses for which were issued in wake of another judge striking down voter-approved same-sex marriage ban. MORE

May. 28, 2015

Federal appeals court strikes down Arkansas law banning abortions after 12th week of pregnancy if doctor can detect fetal heartbeat; ruling supports doctors' arguments that abortion restrictions be based on viability of fetus outside womb and not presence of heartbeat. MORE

May. 24, 2015

Frank Bruni Op-Ed column reflects that way that Sen Tom Cotton of Arkansas defended state bill allowing discrimination based on sexual orientation, in which he compared Arkansas to Iran, as example of pointless moral relativity in American politics; observes that Hillary Rodham Clinton's criticism of negative influence of money in politics, even as she receives aid from 'super PACs', is another example; calls for more genuine leadership from American politicians. MORE

May. 21, 2015

Seven doctors and 41 others are arrested in Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana and Mississippi in what Drug Enforcement Agency calls its largest crackdown on illegal trafficking of prescription drugs, including oxycodone and hydrocodone. MORE

May. 21, 2015

Jonathan McIntosh, man arrested in central Arkansas, frees his hands while handcuffed in back of police squad car and opens fire on officers with gun he had hidden on his body; officers return fire, killing McIntosh. MORE

Apr. 4, 2015

Political Memo; tumult in Indiana and Arkansas over religious freedom legislature underscores revival of culture wars, as well as expectations and pressures among Democrats and Republicans; parties have traded places on battles over social issues, with Democrats united in opposition and Republicans riven by dissent. MORE

Apr. 3, 2015

Conservative leaders are beating hasty retreat from religious freedom laws in Arkansas and Indiana amid backlash over their implications for gay civil rights; concessions have left Christian leaders unsettled and uncertain about future of laws that had been embraced as conservative answer to rapidly shifting national views on gay marriage and similar issues. MORE

Apr. 3, 2015

Lawmakers in Indiana and Arkansas approve new legislation to remove most contentious language from religious freedom measures that were widely perceived as anti-gay, albeit in different ways; critics say new versions are not enough to prevent discrimination, while conservative supporters see new versions as hopelessly watered down. MORE

Apr. 2, 2015

Arkansas Gov Asa Hutchinson, facing backlash from businesses and gay rights advocates, urges state legislators to recall and revise religious freedom bill that would allow organizations and businesses to ignore federal mandates allowing same-sex marriage; Hutchinson says he is considering executive order 'protecting against discrimination' within state government. MORE

Apr. 2, 2015

Seth Hutchinson, son of Arkansas Gov Asa Hutchinson, has publicly asked his father to veto state's religious freedom bill, saying it could legalize discrimination against homosexuals; younger Hutchinson has long differed with his father, and the rest of their conservative family, on political and social issues. MORE

Apr. 2, 2015

Posting by Walmart chief executive Doug McMillon on company's Twitter feed, asking Arkansas Gov Asa Hutchison to reject state bill critics say will allow discrimination against homosexuals is unusual foray into divisive social debate; statement is credited as major factor in Hutchison's request to lawmakers to amend legislation; foray underscores cultural transformation at company, which has long avoided public policy and social issues. MORE

Apr. 1, 2015

Arkansas passes its own version of bill portrayed by supporters as a religious freedom law, while Indiana Gov Mike Pence faces critics who contend its law could be wielded to discriminate against gay couples; Arkansas Gov Asa Hutchinson says he will sign measure, while Pence faces pressure on both sides from business and conservatives. MORE

Feb. 6, 2015

Arkansas Legislature reauthorizes program using federal funds to buy private health insurance for the poor; passage comes despite influx of republican lawmakers who had vowed to kill the hybrid Medicaid expansion; plan, first in nation of its kind, was offered as alternative to expanding Medicaid under federal health care law. MORE

Jan. 29, 2015

Arkansas House committee rejects bid to end state's practice of commemorating Confederate Gen Robert E Lee and Rev Dr Martin Luther King Jr on same day. MORE

Jan. 29, 2015

Arkansas Board of Education votes 5 to 4 to assume control of Little Rock School District after students at some of its schools performed poorly on state benchmark tests. MORE

Jan. 23, 2015

Arkansas Gov Asa Hutchinson petitions lawmakers to keep open state's 'private option,' alternative to Medicaid expansion under Affordable Care Act, for two years while new recommendations are prepared. MORE

Jan. 21, 2015

Supreme Court rules unanimously that correction officials in Arkansas violated religious rights of Muslim prisoners by forbidding them from growing beards; case relates to Gregory H Holt, also known as Abdul Maalik Muhammad, serving life sentence for burglary and domestic violence, who sought to grow half-inch beard. MORE

Nov. 26, 2014

Federal Judges Kristine Baker and Carlton Reeves strike down same sex marriage bans in Arkansas and Mississippi, respectively, but both orders are placed on hold so states can consider appeals. MORE

Nov. 14, 2014

Arkansas Gov Mike Beebe, before leaving office in January 2015, plans to issue pardon to his son Kyle, who was convicted of felony drug offense in 2003. MORE

Nov. 10, 2014

Vilonia Journal; Museum of Veterans and Military History in Vilonia, Ark, is in midst of revival; museum was destroyed by powerful tornado in April, but volunteers and supporters have retrieved much of its collection and erected new building that should withstand future storms. MORE

Nov. 4, 2014

Workers' advocates have bypassed legislatures and placed minimum-wage increase on ballots in several red states like Alaska and Arkansas; those against an increase concede that the measures are likely to pass. MORE

Nov. 1, 2014

Former President Bill Clinton will return to his home state of Arkansas for sixth time since April to campaign for fellow Democrats; Clinton is hoping to preserve legacy of Arkansas Democrats whose moderate politics and personal charisma have allowed them to transcend party. MORE

Oct. 17, 2014

Arkansas State Supreme Court says voters will be able to consider making liquor sales legal statewide. MORE

Oct. 16, 2014

Arkansas Supreme Court strikes down state's voter identification law, saying it will set new requirement for voting beyond those listed in state's Constitution; ruling comes less than three weeks before an election in a state where there are several close contests, including for governor and the United States Senate. MORE

Oct. 8, 2014

Supreme Court justices suggests they may dismiss case of whether prison officials in Arkansas may prohibit Muslim inmate Gregory H Holt from growing a half-inch beard because it may be an inadequate test of religious liberty. MORE

Oct. 7, 2014

Former Pres Bill Clinton, plunging into his home state's tight elections, implores Arkansans to support the Democratic ticket and defy predictions that turnout will plummet without a presidential race on the ballot; Republicans now control both chambers of the Legislature and if Democratic Sen Mark Pryor loses, party will hold all six seats in the congressional delegation. MORE

Oct. 1, 2014

Fact that popular Arkansas Gov Mike Beebe, a Democrat, must step down due to term limits complicates prospects for Democrats in the state; Arkansas has steadily drifted rightward, and Beebe's popularity was one reason Democrats have remained competitive, even though state has not experienced demographic trends favorable to the party; Senate race in Arkansas could determine which party controls the body (Series: States in Play). MORE

Aug. 20, 2014

Prosecutors said four people caught in a teacher certification fraud scheme led by Clarence D Mumford Sr have agreed to stop teaching, ending federal case involving teachers in Arkansas, Mississippi and Tennessee. MORE

Jul. 29, 2014

Bertram Dahl, self-described high priest of Paganism, is at odds with officials in Beebe, Ark, over opening a Pagan temple next to his house; says he is being discriminated against, but officials say dispute is simply over zoning regulations. MORE

Jul. 26, 2014

Television ad critical of Obama administration's health care plan points blame at Arkansas Sen Mark Pryor and features a small-business owner frustrated by what he called higher health care bills; Pryor, a Democrat, is considered one of the most vulnerable incumbents facing re-election this fall; ad is sponsored by National Federation of Independent Business but largest chunk of money comes from health insurance companies trying to repeal a health care tax. MORE

Jul. 20, 2014

Jay Jennings article on finding new admiration for novel True Grit and its author Charles Portis on journey across Arkansas and Oklahoma. MORE

Jun. 9, 2014

Texarkana, Tex, directly across border from Arkansas, has emerged as stark example of how Affordable Care Act has changed economic geography of the country; Arkansas accepted Medicaid expansion under law, while Texas did not, meaning that residents on Arkansas side have access to thousands of dollars in government benefits that their neighbors lack; research shows that very few residents are choosing to move in order to gain benefits. MORE

May. 30, 2014

Political Memo; Democrats’ hopes of holding the Senate in midterm election rest significantly on the political equivalent of what businesses call brand loyalty; Arkansas, Louisiana, Alaska and Georgia are running Democratic candidates from families with multigenerational records of political success. MORE

May. 28, 2014

Supreme Court, in pair of unanimous decisions favoring law enforcement officials, rules for Arkansas police officers who had used deadly force to end high-speed chase and for Secret Service agents who had moved protesters away from Pres George W Bush during campaign stop in Florida; both cases arose out of actions taken in 2004. MORE

May. 19, 2014

Editorial underscores how judicial elections in North Carolina and Arkansas have been polluted by special-interest money; warns there has been little action in states with judicial elections to devise rules for judicial recusal that take campaign contributions into account. MORE

May. 17, 2014

Arkansas State Supreme Court suspends Judge Chris Piazza's ruling striking down state's ban on same-sex marriage, halting the issuance of licenses that have been obtained by hundreds of gay couples. MORE

May. 17, 2014

Resumes of Ben Sasse, who won the Republican Senate primary in Nebraska, and Tom Cotton, who is challenging Democratic Sen Mark Pryor in Arkansas, do not exactly fit the profile of populists; men have a lot in common--Ivy League advanced degrees, tours in management consulting and both are running as common-man conservatives from the heartland under the banner of the Tea Party. MORE

May. 16, 2014

Federal appeals court panel temporarily delays plans for Idaho same-sex weddings while it considers state’s request for a longer stay; separately, Arkansas Judge Chris Piazza clears way for gay marriages to resume in Arkansas, expanding his ruling striking down a constitutional ban to also include the prohibition on clerks issuing same-sex marriage licenses. MORE

May. 15, 2014

Arkansas Supreme Court tosses out ruling by Circuit Court Judge Tim Fox striking down the state’s voter ID law, but it stops short of ruling on the constitutionality of the measure. MORE

May. 13, 2014

Gay couples in many Arkansas cities rush to get married as the attorney general asks the state's highest court to suspend ruling striking down the state's ban on same-sex marriages. MORE

May. 10, 2014

Arkansas Judge Chris Piazza strikes down state's constitutional ban on gay marriage, ruling that 2004 amendment violates rights of same-sex couples by defining marriage as allowable only between a man and a woman. MORE

May. 8, 2014

Pres Obama visits Vilonia, Ark, in wake of tornado; was invited by Democratic Sen Mark Pryor, who is running for re-election and has tried to distance himself from the new health care law, which is unpopular in his state. MORE

Apr. 29, 2014

Tornado that touched down in Vilonia, Ark, part of storm system that stretched through the Midwest before streaking across the South, provides a new and urgent test for residents working toward normalcy after similar disaster three years earlier; state and local authorities report 20 weather-related deaths, 15 in Arkansas, two in Alabama and one each in Iowa, Oklahoma and Mississippi, where dozens of injuries have been reported. MORE

Apr. 25, 2014

Arkansas Judge Tim Fox of Pulaski County Circuit Court strikes down state's new voter ID law, saying it violates State Constitution by adding requirement that voters must meet before casting ballot. MORE

Apr. 24, 2014

The Upshot; Kaiser Family Foundation poll finds Senate races in Kentucky, North Carolina, Louisiana and Arkansas, likely to determine control of Congress, appear very close; survey underscores favorable political environment overall for Republicans in all four Southern states, where disapproval ratings for Pres Obama run as high as 60 percent. MORE

Apr. 23, 2014

John Boozman, the junior senator from Arkansas, has unplanned heart surgery and is recovering in an Arkansas hospital. MORE

Mar. 21, 2014

Arkansas Supreme Court reverses a $1.2 billion judgment against Johnson & Johnson, finding that the state attorney general erred by suing under a law that applied to health care facilities, not drug companies; judgement was one of the largest in history for a state fraud case. MORE

Mar. 18, 2014

Asa Hutchinson, Republican running for governor of Arkansas, says he has raised more than $167,000 in his bid for state’s top office. MORE

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General Information on Arkansas

Official Name: Arkansas, State of
Nickname: The Natural State
Capital: Little Rock
Largest City: Little Rock
Admitted to Union: June 15, 1836
Land Area and rank: 52,068 square miles; 27
Postal Abbreviation: AR
Web site:State.ar.us